This morning, on the first hour of the Weekday show, Steve Scher asked for songs for 2011. It's not a bad idea for starting a general discussion, so I'll borrow it. To get things started here's my song for 2011,... [read more]

December 29, 2011

Q13's Brien Blakely Thinks That Republicans Will Gain At Least Two House Seats From Washington State's Redistricting

by Jim Miller, 08:05 AM, 8 Comments

This morning I heard him say, during the six o'clock news hour, that Republicans would go from their "current two" to four or five seats. This surprised me so much that I listened to the seven o'clock news to see... [read more]

December 28, 2011

Redistricting

by pudge, 10:23 PM, 15 Comments

Washington's new congressional districts, as expected, are designed to protect incumbents. (Caveat: while many, including myself, are treating these as though they are final, the commission hasn't voted on them yet, but they are set to do so within days,... [read more]

December 27, 2011

David Sirota Gives Us An Example Of Bad Writing

by Jim Miller, 01:23 PM, 25 Comments

Again. When I glance at one of his columns, I often find myself wondering — briefly — whether he writes that badly on purpose, whether he is trying to damage the newspapers that carry his column, or discourage criticism... [read more]

December 23, 2011

Seattlehenge

by Stefan Sharkansky, 04:58 PM, 62 Comments

Seattle City Light mailed me a letter inviting me to "help build Community Solar today!" "Community Solar" is Seattle's Sustainable Energy Future (today!) City Light has partnered with Seattle Parks and Recreation to build three new picnic shelters with roofs... [read more]

Funding and Such

by pudge, 12:42 PM, 19 Comments

Some years ago, Senator John Kerry voted for the Iraq war funding before he voted against it. He got in a lot of trouble because, in the end, his proposal would have funded the war, but in a different way... [read more]

December 22, 2011

Is The Recent DOJ Report On The Seattle Police Fair?

by Jim Miller, 07:07 AM, 34 Comments

I don't know, and I suspect that no one else does, either. As far as I can tell, no one with the appropriate expertise has reviewed the report; instead our "mainstream" journalists and political leaders are treating it as fair,... [read more]

December 21, 2011

"Reusable Grocery Bags Contaminated With E. Coli, Other Bacteria"

by Stefan Sharkansky, 03:21 PM, 43 Comments

Prompted by "Sulaco"'s comment in Monday's post on the Seattle City Council's ban on disposable plastic grocery bags, I found this: "Reusable Grocery Bags Contaminated With E. Coli, Other Bacteria"These bags may be friendly to the environment, but not necessarily... [read more]

December 20, 2011

Public Policy and Private Behavior

by pudge, 10:56 AM, 21 Comments

Many people say that uncertainty in public policy -- taxes, regulation, and so on -- is holding back the private sector. Other people say, that's dumb: if something makes sense for a business, the business should do it, regardless of... [read more]

December 19, 2011

Seattle City Council Bans Plastic Shopping Bags (again)

by Stefan Sharkansky, 07:52 PM, 49 Comments

The Seattle City Council seizes yet another opportunity to encourage customers to take their business somewhere other than Seattle. Pathetic collection of irresponsible fools.... [read more]

December 16, 2011

School Funding in Washington State

by pudge, 06:12 PM, 16 Comments

All of you students and parents and teachers who are upset about K-12 education being cut: if you think that these cuts constitute having less than an "ample provision" for education, then please tell Governor Gregoire that her proposed cuts... [read more]

Newt and Michele and Freddie

by pudge, 08:04 AM, 44 Comments

I think Newt Gingrich would be a terrible nominee for President, and a pretty bad President. I think he doesn't lead effectively, I think he's essentially an American statist (not that government is the answer for everything, but that it... [read more]

December 12, 2011

Our Sexist Senior Senator

by Jim Miller, 08:50 AM, 50 Comments

Patty Murray is open in her stereotyping. Sen. Patty Murray says that if Congress had more women, there might be a plan in place to deal with the nation's $15 trillion debt. While the supercommittee that she helped lead failed... [read more]

December 10, 2011

Needed, More Students Like Ian

by warrenpeterson, 06:43 PM, 17 Comments

Apparently the liberals missed one. Ian Engelbeck from Skyline High School actually made it all the way to his senior without being brainwashed. No doubt with his clear philosophical base he will be able to resist the onslaught of the... [read more]

Choosing From Three

by warrenpeterson, 04:09 PM, 19 Comments

Newt Gingrich is the latest to lead the polls for the Republican nomination but he has personal baggage and can be accused of flip-flopping on the issues like global warming and health insurance mandates. Right behind Newt at a steady... [read more]

December 09, 2011

Rick Larsen and the Detroit Tigers

by pudge, 05:01 PM, 6 Comments

I think Rick Larsen owes the Detroit Tigers an apology. I've seen his staff's offensive tweets next to the Detroit Tigers logo -- which at least one of his staff chose for their Twitter picture -- for a couple of... [read more]

"Gangster Government"

by pudge, 04:52 PM, 29 Comments

Maybe Michele Bachmann was right when she calls our federal government a "gangster government." The Obama administration apparently didn't even mean it when -- almost two years after the plant was announced -- they said Boeing broke the law in... [read more]

December 08, 2011

In Vino, Veritas?

by Jim Miller, 01:50 PM, 8 Comments

It's an old idea (and not totally wrong in my experience). So I don't doubt that our ace local journalists are, right now, racing to find out how much truth there might be in what Congressman Larsen's former staffers said... [read more]

Obama and many others on the left are attacking the Republicans for on the one hand taking a pledge to not raise taxes, and on the other opposing continuing the payroll tax holiday. Obama said just yesterday, "I know many... [read more]

December 04, 2011

No Moral Core

by pudge, 08:41 AM, 47 Comments

President Obama's people are out attacking Mitt Romney, saying that because he changes on the issues, he has no "moral core." So I guess that means if you say you will pull out of Iraq within a year and three... [read more]

December 01, 2011

Designed Locally

by Jim Miller, 04:03 PM, 8 Comments

Produced globally. Which is fine with me, but I'm not sure that combination is consistent with the current tenets of the Green religion. Cross posted at Jim Miller on Politics.... [read more]